


And They Were Roommates

by MalexLove4



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Awkwardness, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Jesse manes brief mention but not in the story, M/M, Michael Guerin being head over heels in love, POV Michael Guerin, alex Manes not in military
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-28 23:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30147243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalexLove4/pseuds/MalexLove4
Summary: Michael needs help with bills so he gets a roommate he wasn't expecting.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 26
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is my first ever Malex fic, so please take it easy on me, I also didn't have anyone Beta me, all mistakes are my own. I've had this story in my head for the longest time, and I just had to finally get it on paper. I'm terrible at titles, and this one was kind of funny considering the video/meme about it, so maybe I'll keep it.  
> Also, if you see any tags I haven't used (I'm so new to this whole thing), please message me to let me know, and the rating will be updated as I go because there will be smut happening but I'm not sure just when that will go down. Thanks!

Running his hands through his already disheveled curly hair, the anxiety of looking through the bills sitting on the coffee table in front of him had his mind racing and his stress levels up. Most of them read 'last notice' in big, bold red letters and the thought of getting evicted on top of everything else he had going on was almost too much to handle this morning, all before 9:00 AM. 

Michael wasn't one to let things sit for long, reminding himself that he could handle anything that life threw him. Still, Isobel's voice poked through his thoughts 'You can't keep living this way Michael' 'Michael, you'll need to find a roommate if you want to keep living here' 'Michael, you can't expect to be a grown-up if you can't even afford basic things.' Easy for her to say when she could afford pretty much anything, and everything she wanted, Michael, on the other hand, had to work his ass off for everything he's accomplished in his life. It's not to say Isobel and Max didn't work their butt's off for what they've attained in life; however, he didn't have help from mommy and daddy dearest. 

Although sitting here now looking at all the bills, some of which included coffee stains, he thought maybe she had a point. His place was a 2 bedroom, which is another thing that Isobel gave him a hard time for saying he hadn't needed the extra space, but now he was glad considering that a roommate sounded like an ideal plan. Sighing and sitting back to rest his head on the back of the couch, he ran a hand through his eyes, rubbing the sleep that had been still sitting there. 

Right on cue, his phone rang, and he didn't need to guess who was on the other end to know that it had been his nosy sister. 

"Michael, did you think about what I said?" 

He sighed quietly so she couldn't hear his frustration. "Yes, and you might have been right." He closed his eyes, waiting for the 'I told you so' to pierce through her end, but she never did. 

"Okay, great, so I am emailing you a list of candidates, and before you say anything, please know that I am amazing at these sort of things, and yes, I want to help, so please don't be mad at me." 

It was hard to be mad at her when he knew she was doing this out of love. Still, the thought of her sending him a list of people she thought were going to make for 'good roommates' terrified him, her tastes were questionable at best, and sometimes he wondered if there was an ulterior motive behind some of the stuff she did. 

"Okay, if I look at these candidates, will you get off my back?"

Her scoff followed by her "nope" made him chuckle as he wasn't sure he could do any of this on his own, and considering Max had been busy to help on his end, he was grateful for his sisters. 

"Tell me that you'll look at them today? I already pre-screened them" because, of course, she did. "I listed my top 3 favorites, but you can start however you'd like. I had Max do a background check for all of them, and before you give me any grief over that, please know that I love you and want what's best even if you're ego won't let you see that sometimes, okay love you bye!" before he could even get a word in she was gone. He was shaking his head at that whole conversation; even though his sister had the best intentions, he still couldn't hide the embarrassment he had from requiring it in the first place. 

He opened his email on his phone, and sure enough, there it was with the subject line reading 'get your shit together, and you're welcome,' his smile was one he couldn't hide and opened it to reveal a list of applicants that were interested in living here, how did Isobel do this so quickly? It had just been a week since he told her of his predicament, and the fact she had 10 people ready and willing to move in, on top of screening them and listing her top 3 favorites was just insane, but then again, it was Isobel he was talking about, so no big surprise there. 

He laughed at the fact she had it so concise, the list started with the top 3 favorites that she mentioned, all highlighted in pink to emphasize importance as pink just so happened to be Isobel's serious color, but then it was so thorough; it had names, ages, work & living experience, fun facts for the hell of it, what they liked/didn't like AND the most embarrassing part was their sexual orientation, which he was pretty sure was illegal to ask but knowing Is that wouldn't stop her. There were both men and women on this list, but the funny part was that the top 3 had all been men; he wasn't sure what she was getting at; I mean, yeah, hell everyone in his life knew he was bisexual, he was out and proud but he had never dated a man before, never really even considered it as there weren't many men that caught his eye. Still, it seemed like Is was trying to play matchmaker, and he wasn't sure if it was embarrassing, annoying, or just plain rude. 

He skimmed the list, but his eyes kept going back up top to the 3 names, particularly over one that couldn't stop catching his eye. The name Alex Manes was familiar, but he couldn't place it; he knew he had never met him but maybe heard his name around town. He read his information, and his smile slowly spread on his lips, unsure why but pressed on anyhow. 

_Alex Manes 'very, very handsome', 23 years old, music aficionado, loves dogs, music, and food, Roswell High alum, favorite foods are anything from the Crashdown and favorite place to be is singing and playing music at The Wild Pony. He is very clean and tidy and will help with half the bills, willing to do any chores as needed, and sexual orientation is gay. ___

__He read his bio over and over, reading the last bit and licking his lips; he wasn't sure why but it got him nervous, not that Alex was gay perse, but clearly, Isobel thought he was cute hence the 'very very handsome' comment which of course had him rolling his eyes at that because Michael wasn't interested in dating right now, he had way too much going on to focus on a relationship. Still, for some reason, his heart skipped, and his stomach turned in knots when he thought about it; he wasn't even sure why he was already so enamored with this Alex. He hadn't even met him, just his damn bio that he more than likely didn't put together considering the handsome comment - that was all Isobel._ _

__His phone rang as if she could read his mind, and he picked it up with an annoyed expression but a smile that poked through regardless. "So, what do you think? I'm truly hoping you pick the one I want but knowing you, Michael, I'm not expecting much in that department."_ _

__He laughed. "Actually, I think I made my decision, and if it's the one you like, please don't make a big deal about it" before he let her interrupt, he cleared his throat to make sure she knew he wasn't done "and I'm only even doing this because I truly could use the extra cash and help with half the bills, so that's why I'm doing this" Michael pointed his voice. He wasn't sure if she took it as such, but he hoped she understood he was trying to not sound as embarrassed about this as he felt, and having Isobel take pity on him is the last thing he wants, but when she spoke, there was no pity to be found just exciting amusement._ _

__"Ooh, okay, so you gonna keep me hanging here or what? Who'd you pick so I can call them with the exciting news?" it was clear she didn't use 'she or him' as to not get her hopes up, but he could hear it in her voice. "Also, when did you want them to move in? I'm assuming right away? That way, I can tell them when you are expecting them."_ _

__Hearing that had his heart pumping, he hadn't even thought about the fact that he needed someone right away, but that hadn't hit him yet, he knew they would be moving in, but the mere reality of it was nauseating._ _

__"Hello, Michael, I have other things to do, you know?" she mumbled something under her breath, and he didn't catch what she did, but he knew that it wasn't something in his favor._ _

__He shook his thoughts away and cleared his throat. "Sorry Is, yeah I made my decision, and I think I'm gonna go with Alex Manes."_ _

__The squeal that came from her end made Michael pull his phone away from his ear and furrow his brow; he rolled his eyes, knowing this was exactly the person she had expected and wanted him to pick._ _

__"And why may I ask did you pick him? You loved my bio of him, didn't you?"_ _

__"Isobel, what did I just say?"_ _

__"Ugh, you're no fun," her scoff and then huffing made him laugh in return, but she continued, "He is truly a babe, Michael, and so so kind, I think you made the right decision."_ _

__"You know I am only doing this because I have to. This isn't like you setting me up on a date or something; this is just for financial reasons and nothing more, okay?" He made his point across, but even though Isobel wasn't in front of him, he could hear the rolling of her eyes and the way she cocked her hip to the side with annoyance._ _

__"Mmm, I know; I think having some eye candy will also be good for you. When was the last time you got laid?"_ _

__"Isobel!"_ _

__"What? You haven't slept with anyone since you broke up with that Heidi girl, and we both know she was not good for you, Michael. I think you need something new and fresh, and seeing how Alex plays music, I think that is all I have to say."_ _

__"I'm fine in the dating department, thank you very much, and Heidi was great, I mean yeah, she wasn't for me, but she was great." even he couldn't hide the lie that Michael said with those words, not only was Heidi not the one for him, it was mostly sex-based, but she was not a very nice person, and he knew that Isobel hated her._ _

__"Mm, you need all the help you can get in the dating department, but if you say so, anywho, I'm gonna call Alex right away and inform him of the great news, which I'm also very excited for and I'll tell him he can move Monday."_ _

__"Monday? That's in two days Isobel, how am I supposed to have everything ready for a roommate by then? Don't you think I should have groceries and tidy up by then?"_ _

__Her scoff was extra long, and he heard her shuffling around her house. "You can't be serious? You can't do all of that in two days, really, Michael?" her groan came next. "Do I have to do everything?"_ _

__He knew he was extra and dramatic, but the anxiety in the pit of his stomach he felt as the realization hit that Alex would be moving in two days was crazy and scary & all moving too quickly for his liking; he just decided that it was a good idea, now it was moving forward and that thought terrified him. _ _

__"Okay, how about this? You get to work tidying up and getting his room ready while I go out grocery shopping for you? Sound fair?"_ _

__He truly didn't know what he would do without her. Still, he wasn't about to admit that to her as his ego was a bit too big, and he was already feeling shame for even having her do everything she had already done, so he mumbled a thank you with her saying, 'You know I got you' before they hung up. He got up to work on cleaning and getting the guest room ready, which would no longer be technically a guest room but Alex's room. He had never had a roommate, so he wasn't even sure how to get it ready, he was truly pathetic, and if it wasn't for Isobel, Max, Liz, Maria, and Rosa is a constant in his life, he would not know what to do, he was just truly grateful to have them in his life. He made a mental note to do something nice for them, but especially Isobel._ _

__```_ _

__The weekend rolled around really fast, and his heart was racing with nerves at the anticipation of Alex moving in; he hadn't got to speak to him, but when he spoke with Isobel on Sunday when she brought groceries, she mentioned due to Michael's insistent prodding about getting more information from his soon-to-be roommate, she said that she spoke with Alex as soon as she got off the phone with Michael. He had been very excited and honored that he was the one that got chosen. Oh god, had Isobel mentioned how many candidates there were? Why was he so nervous to think that now Alex would know Michael had chosen him out of everybody, and sure anyone else would think it's normal to pick someone random, but to Michael, he felt very insecure about that fact, but also slightly giddy that Alex had found it nice that Michael had picked him; he would have to examine just why he felt so giddy at that thought later, now he had other things to worry about._ _

__Isobel had mentioned that Alex would be coming there around 10:00 AM, and the time could not go any slower. He had been up since 5:00, pacing the apartment and making sure and even triple-checking that everything was in place for Alex. Why had he gone out of his way to get him a toothbrush? He groaned at the thought; Alex more than likely would be bringing his own. Still, when he went to the drugstore to stock up on a few extra things that he was too embarrassed to ask Isobel to get, he saw a few things that he wanted to get Alex, one of them was the toothbrush, but he also got him floss, face towels, and a hairbrush. He rolled his eyes as he saw the bathroom cleaner than he had ever seen it since he lived here, with all of the items stacked neatly on top of the towels with a small note reading 'Alex' on it. He considered removing the note, but the knock interrupted his thoughts before he could even decide to do so or not._ _

__He looked down at his watch, and it read '9:58 AM' and gulped as hard as he could, feeling just how dry his throat felt, cursing himself that he hadn't had anything to drink but now was stumbling over his couch to get to the door, and looking at himself once over on the mirror next to the door by the desk that had bills and keys on it, making sure his hair looked okay or as okay as he could tame it anyway and let out a sigh before pushing down his nerves and wrapping his hand around the doorknob, steadying himself and closing his eyes before opening the door with to stare at Alex before him._ _

__To say 'very, very handsome' was a HUGE understatement. Was Isobel just trying to be polite and not be extra? Michael looked Alex up and down, feeling his heart skip a beat and start to pace faster, he had never in his life seen someone more beautiful or attractive in his life, and he wasn't instantly regretting this decision. He hadn't meant to stare or look at Alex the way he was looking at him, but he couldn't help it._ _

__Alex was wearing a black Green Day t-shirt that looked worn and loved with a plaid blue shirt on top, black skinny jeans that made Michael feel things he wasn't sure he was supposed to, and accidentally staring a little too hard at where his zipper was, he also noticed Alex was wearing high top black converse which made Michael smile. He was carrying a few bags, including a guitar case. Then Michael noticed his hair which was spiky a little at the top but looked incredibly soft and was a dark brown that made Michael so badly want to run his hands through it and see just how soft it was, finally landing on Alex's face that had an angelic look about him, with his olive skin tone that was also sun-kissed and he couldn't miss the black eyeliner which looked amazing on him._ _

__"Um, can I come in?" Alex said with his soft buttery voice that made Michael's knees want to buckle; if this is how he spoke, he couldn't imagine his voice when he sang._ _

__Michael's cheeks slightly tinged pink, and he hadn't realized just how long he had been standing at the doorway not allowing Alex in because he was literally taking his sweet time admiring the man in front of him; all he wanted to do was shut the door in his beautiful face and escape having to go through with this, but that was just not something he could do so instead he took a deep breath before nodding and stepping aside to welcome him in._ _

__"Sorry about that. Do you have more things, or is this it?" noting just how little Alex had with him._ _

__"Oh, I have a few more things, but they are in storage at my ex's place, so I'll have to go round that up in a few days; for now, I'm all set."_ _

__Michael nodded and smiled softly at Alex, it was almost an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air, but somehow it felt nice. He also tried to ignore the weird jealousy that he felt as he heard him mention his ex; there was no reason for him to feel any of these emotions, he barely knew Alex, and this felt wrong and weird to have any of these feelings push through as intense as they were._ _

__"Well welcome, I should probably introduce myself and get you situated; I'm sure you're ready just to start the move and get things going." It wasn't so much a question as it was something for Michael to occupy his mind with as he could feel the nerves bouncing off of him, and he was trying his hardest not to let Alex see that._ _

__"An introduction would be nice." Alex's sweet voice came through, and Michael had to hide the blush that he could feel forming because it almost came off as flirtatious, and he didn't want to get his hopes up._ _

__"I'm Michael Guerin; I'm sure Isobel has told you all about me, though?" He wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn't think that was appropriate to do with someone he didn't know just yet and couldn't joke in that way about his sister just yet._ _

__Alex smiled and leaned over, putting his hand out for Michael to take. "Michael, huh? Isobel did mention a few things" He trailed off as he started to look around the apartment, which made Michael even more nervous. Would he not like his new living arrangement or think it was too plain. Sure Michael took his time decorating; he had been living here for almost a year. Still, he wasn't big on any of that stuff which Isobel wasn't too happy about, he had a few photographs of his closest friends and family strewn throughout the apartment, but that was it; maybe now that Alex was here, it could change and that made him have that giddy feeling from before which he hated._ _

__"Uh, what exactly did she say?" Michael could hear the panic in his voice, hoping that whatever his sister did say to Alex wasn't too horrible or put him off to him._ _

__Alex just smiled but continued to examine the photos and walking around to get a better look at things; the apartment wasn't too big, it was cozy enough for two people, the kitchen was decent sized with a middle island and bar stools to accompany it, but Michael never go around to buying a dining table and chairs to match as he saw no point with it just being him that lived here. Still, he was feeling self-conscious as Alex was looking around._ _

__He tried not to think that Alex was probably judging him on just how little items Michael did, in fact, have, but maybe he could see that Michael was a simple guy; he didn't really need much to make him happy._ _

__"Everything here is pretty self-explanatory," Michael started showing him around "the fridge is fully stocked; I wasn't sure what to get you, so it's just filled with pretty much everything" Michael avoided telling Alex that Isobel did the grocery shopping. Still, it was like she knew exactly what to get, especially after giving him her raised eyebrow and smirk before taking off when he saw the bags, and he technically didn't need to get Alex groceries. Still, it was the least he could do as Alex helped him more than he could say._ _

__He saw the way Alex hid the slight blush that peppered his cheeks and just nodded, following right behind Michael._ _

__"I don't really have cable." Michael looked away from Alex; he felt a slight embarrassment at admitting that as cable costs money that he didn't have. He sometimes stole Isobel's Netflix password, but other than that, the TV was mostly for props, but when he looked back at Alex, he saw nothing but a man who looked like he understood._ _

__"So, where do I sleep?" Alex interrupted Michael's thoughts which he was grateful for._ _

__Michael wasn't sure if it was excitement or what that he heard through Alex's voice. Still, he felt even more nervous as he avoided this part for as long as possible, seeing how his room was just as plain as pretty much everything else, but Michael also thought that could be a good thing and Alex could make it his own._ _

__"Right, let me show you" He pointed in the direction of his room and made a comment that it was his, wanting to eye-roll at that but not really wanting to show Alex his room, not like there was much to see, but he couldn't stomach having this gorgeous man see his room, it just seemed way too intimate of an act._ _

__He opened the door to reveal Alex's room and stepped aside so Alex could go in first; it was a decent-sized room with a nice walk-in closet; Michael's room looked similar but just a bit bigger as it was the master bedroom. Alex walked in and looked around; the smile that spread made Michael's shoulders relax, Alex seemed humble, and something as small as this plain ass room made him smile, which in turn had Michael smiling right back._ _

__"You're allowed to hang stuff on the walls, so go crazy with whatever you'd like, and I can show you the bathroom next when you're ready."_ _

__Alex placed some items on the floor of his room, and gently put his guitar case on the bed, and turned to follow Michael._ _

__The only downside was that they had to share a bathroom. That thought made Michael incredibly nervous at thinking of Alex in there, taking showers, walking around with a towel, anything that remotely showed his body made Michael shiver with just the thought._ _

__He pointed to the bathroom, which was right next to Alex's room; Michael stood by the door as Alex took a look at the items that Michael had left for him with that stupid note he didn't have time to get rid of. He could see the curvature of Alex's lips go up as he continued to examine the items. Michael's heart fluttered, and he cleared his throat gently "so we do only have one bathroom; I hope that's okay, I tried to sign a lease with two, but they didn't have any."_ _

__"I grew up with 4 brothers and one bathroom my whole life; I think I can manage one bathroom and one other person."_ _

__Michael chuckled but couldn't shake the feeling he wanted to know more about him, especially considering he definitely knew the Manes name from somewhere._ _

__"Okay, that's pretty much the tour; any questions?"_ _

__Alex turned to face Michael finally, and Michael's heart felt like it stopped at the intensity of Alex's stare, gulping; he hoped that Alex would answer his question so he could excuse himself from being anywhere but here._ _

__Alex smiled. "So any rules I should know about ahead of time?"_ _

__From the smile that was coming off of Alex's face, it seemed like maybe Isobel already gave him the rundown, but he was happy that he asked._ _

__He shrugged. "Honestly? I'm pretty easy going and don't really have many rules; I guess to clean up after yourself" it was funny that he said that as Michael was known to not be the best at that, but it just seemed like something a good roommate would say so he continued "Do you have any rules for me?" He wasn't entirely sure why he was asking Alex that, but he felt it only fair._ _

__Alex shrugged back, imitating Michael from a second ago, and shook his head. "Not really; I'm pretty easy going too, so I think it'll be good."_ _

__Michael nodded, and they stood now in awkward silence, so Michael clapped his hands together. "Okay, well, I'll let you get settled; I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." He didn't even let Alex answer before he was off; he had already felt so nervous at even speaking to Alex that staying with him a bit longer just seemed like torture. Why would Isobel do this to him? Was she trying to be mean? Alex was off-limits, he was his roommate, and now he had to endure living with this man that Michael knew would capture most if not all of his attention; he should be happy that he had a roommate to help with bills, but he felt like he was in his own personal hell instead._ _

__```_ _

__It had been a few hours later, and Alex hadn't come out of his room since Michael had left him to his own devices and Michael was starting to worry; he knew that Alex would be setting up, and maybe he just needed to take some time for himself, but he still couldn't help but worry._ _

__He decided to get started on lunch; he wasn't even sure what the hell Alex liked, but he thought to stick to simple, which is exactly what he did by making two BLT sandwiches, it didn't beat the Crashdown burgers, but it did just fine. He pulled two water bottles and placed everything on the kitchen isle; walking over to Alex's room, he knocked twice and waited till he heard scuffling and then the door opening with more force than necessary. Alex looked to be in his own little world, he had stripped himself of his plaid shirt and shoes, and Michael had to look away as he was admiring his biceps._ _

__"Um, so I was getting hungry since it is about lunchtime; I thought maybe you'd like some too? So I made you something." He felt the nerves pop out, and he tried so hard not to let it come through his voice, but he was sure he saw that Alex noticed._ _

__Alex smiled genuinely and nodded. "I'm starving, actually; that's really nice of you, thank you."_ _

__Michael just shrugged and heard footsteps following him and his heart fluttered at the thought for no reason at all._ _

__"I wasn't sure if you ate meat; I guess I should have asked you that, but I made BLT's; they are kind of my favorite."_ _

__Alex sat down admiring the food and smiled at Michael. "I definitely eat meat; this looks great. Thanks"_ _

__They ate in silence, but after a while, Michael could feel that Alex wanted to say something but was waiting till the right moment._ _

__"So what do you do?" Alex's voice chimed in, finally saying what he wanted to say, but it seemed like he didn't add everything in there that he wanted to._ _

__Michael looked up from his food. "I am currently enrolled at UNM for bioengineering and agriculture; I'm kind of a science geek" Michael gave Alex a weak smile, hoping that Alex didn't find that dorky, but his eyebrows quirked up as if he found that fascinating, so Michael continued. "I kind of love it honestly, so I'm doing that, but as far as work goes, I work at this little junkyard, pays decent, but I've only stuck around for the man that runs it, he's like a dad to me." He shrugs as if it's not that big of a deal, knowing full well it was a huge deal._ _

__Alex listened intently and nodded. "That's amazing; I'm kind of jealous, honestly."_ _

__At that, Michael furrowed his brow and stared at Alex as he looked down to his plate, almost uncomfortable that he admitted that to Michael. "Why jealous?"_ _

__Alex sighed, still averting his gaze from Michael's. "I guess I just grew up in a household where you had to do everything by the book, you couldn't do the things you love, and my passion is music, but that doesn't really pay wages as well unless you sign a record deal, and I mean living in a small town like Roswell, well you don't have many opportunities, so I was forced to learn code-breaking, that's what I do." He shrugged and sighed again as if he wasn't really comfortable talking about this._ _

__Michael wanted to ask him more about his job, but Alex was up and taking their plates to the sink to wash before he got a chance._ _

__"Oh, you don't have to..."_ _

__Alex cut him off "it's the least I can do after you made lunch for us."_ _

__"So you like The Wild Pony too, huh?" Michael finally interrupted the small silence that filled the air as Alex was washing the dishes._ _

__He turned his head to the side to look back at Michael and nodded, with a small smile on his lips. "Yeah, Maria, the girl who owns the bar, she's my best friend, and so she helps me a lot by doing Open Mic nights, and I get to play my music."_ _

__"Wait, you're kidding? Maria Deluca is your best friend?" Michael scoffed and laughed at that thought; he had known Maria for a few years now. "How come I've never seen you perform before? I'm there all the time?" It was true that Michael, in fact, was there all the time, but he was definitely there for other reasons than Open Mic._ _

__Alex laughed. "I actually haven't performed in quite some time there, I've had other things that occupied my time, but I'm planning on doing the next one, which I think is next week."_ _

__It seemed like an invitation, but Michael didn't want to read too much into it, so he nodded even though Alex couldn't see him._ _

__When Alex was done, he turned to look at Michael, who was leaning against the couch. The realization that Michael was staring at Alex the entire time was evident and made Michael turn around quickly as if he hadn't been doing just that, which somehow was more embarrassing._ _

__"So should we discuss bills?" Alex chimed in as if he hadn't just seen Michael do the dumbest shit ever, that or chose to ignore it, whatever it was Michael was grateful for._ _

__Michael nodded and walked over to sit on the couch; Alex followed and sat next to him but not too close where they were even remotely touching, which Michael was pleased about seeing as he wasn't sure he could handle it._ _

__"So I made a breakdown of pretty much the rent, utilities, and groceries, but I wasn't really sure about groceries as I'm sure you'd like to buy your own things, so I left that one kind of up to us to decide."_ _

__Alex nodded along but then spoke without looking at Michael and staring down at the paper in front of them that Michael had pulled with the breakdown cost. "I don't mind just splitting the grocery bill, seeing as how from the looks of it, I don't mind what you've chosen." Michael could feel his heart skip at Alex liking what he had picked out from Alex taking a look earlier at the fridge and pantry. Technically, Isobel, but she picked stuff that Michael would have as she knows him more than anyone._ _

__"Okay, so you can take a look at that, and just let me know what you think and if you have any discrepancies about it."_ _

__Alex nodded but slid the paper towards Michael. "Looks good to me, and rents due on the 1st of the month?"_ _

__Michael nodded but continued to stare at Alex, his eyes landed for a split second on Alex's lips, and it took everything in him to turn away, but he was glad he did before Alex caught him staring at just exactly where he was._ _

__"Alright, well, I should probably go study; I have a big test tomorrow that I can't afford to fail." Michael knew this was a lie; he did, in fact, have a test tomorrow, but he could pass it in his sleep; he just needed to get away from Alex before he did something stupid like grab his face and kiss his lips, those lips that look so soft. He caught a whiff of Alex's body wash, and he was grateful to be sitting down as he felt weak at the knees._ _

__Alex nodded back. "Yeah, I have to work in the morning, so I'm gonna finish setting up, and I guess I'll see you later?"_ _

__The hope in Alex's voice made Michael feel slightly dizzy, but he was glad he was able to reply and just said 'sure' because he didn't think he could muster anything other than those words. With that, he left and headed towards his room, closing it while falling back towards his door and leaning against it with his back, and closing his eyes. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath till he got inside the safety of his room and was very happy to jump into his bed and face plant right into his pillow, groaning into it and hating his life._ _

__He grabbed his phone and hurriedly typed out Isobel's name onto his texts and just typed out the only thing he could think of. "You.Are. So.Dead."_ _

__Her reply came quickly, and he rolled his eyes at seeing her response. "You can thank me later, but you're very welcome."_ _

__He was left staring at her words and feeling sick to his stomach. How was he supposed to live with Alex? He was already feeling things he didn't need to, and it almost felt so comfortable with Alex, like he had known him his whole life. He was starting to think this was the worst decision of his life._ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael continues to fall deeper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I really ended up liking this chapter, I wasn't sure 100% on it and kept re-writing it, but overall I like it. Thank you all so much for supporting, reading, liking, and commenting; it makes me so happy. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, I'm already working on Chapter 3, so hopefully, it'll be up earlier than a week, but again no promises. Again none of this is Beta'd so all mistakes are my own, I'm updating as much as I can on tags and making sure I put any warnings if need be, but please let me know if I've missed any. Thanks again!

Michael woke up the next morning with a stiff neck; it was as if he slept in all the wrong positions. He stared up at the ceiling, sighing as he recalled the events that happened last night.

_"Hey Michael?" the soft knock on the door that followed Alex's softer voice from behind made Michael jump upright in his bed and stare wide-eyed at the door. He had been on his bed, listening to music on the radio for most of the remaining day. He wasn't necessarily avoiding Alex; he was just still too nervous about being completely around him, especially considering the things that he felt low in his belly at even the thought of Alex._

_"Yeah?" He asked, opening the door slightly ajar, facing a very adorable-looking smile on Alex's face; he looked tired but with a gentle expression still behind his brown eyes._

_"I made dinner; seeing as you made lunch, I thought why not try and be useful as well." He shrugged when Michael raised his brow; the knot that had been there since he met Alex was feeling tighter by the second, and the face that Alex was giving him made him want to slip his hands around his waist and pull him in for a deep passionate kiss and push him hard up against his bedroom wall. He had to shake those thoughts, though, as Alex was expecting a response, so he smiled, feeling his stomach gurgling at the smells that were emulating from the kitchen._

_"That's very sweet; you should have called me. I would have loved to help you." he rolled his eyes internally at that, subtle Michael, really subtle, but Alex just shrugged once more and shook his head._

_"I'm used to helping, and I want to do as much as I can. Also, you can't get really excited about what I made, and please don't judge it so harshly; it was a pasta I used to make for my brothers, it's an odd combo, but it's actually delicious."_

_Michael smiled as he followed Alex towards the kitchen, his heart jumping that Alex made him something that he loved and from his home life. "What's so odd about it?" he cringed at the fact that it sounded flirtatious, but either Alex didn't notice or ignored it altogether; he sighed at the relief._

_"Well, it's odd because it's got tuna in it with spaghetti sauce and macaroni elbow pasta."_

_If Michael knew Alex better, he would think he was nervous, but he wasn't sure if that was just because they were standing quite close, and Michael hadn't realized he was pressed up against Alex to take a look at the inside of the bowl. The combo did seem odd, but it smelled excellent, and who was he to deny Alex the comfort of eating something he truly loved. Michael pushed back after realizing he was still pressed up against him, and he could feel his heart racing at the warmth that came from Alex's body, even through the clothing._

_Alex gave him a warm smile and served them two bowls, and it looked like garlic bread was presented as well. Still, Michael hadn't even realized it until it was right in front of him; he was literally caught staring at Alex once again. This time he didn't shy away from how Alex stared right back, placing the last bits of items in front of them, including parmesan cheese and two beers._

_"I hope it's okay? I figured the least we can do is a toast to our new living situation."_

_Michael smiled all too wide and nodded; beer was always okay in his book. "Oh, definitely more than okay. Thank you for all of this; it looks great."_

_Michael could see the flush that Alex got, which made Michael feel things he knew were not okay to feel, especially so fast. He knew Alex was gay, but would he even be interested? He wanted to shake his head at the damn thoughts that kept popping into his head, including pushing Alex against the couch and doing things that were R-rated. He couldn't think these things as Alex was not his to dream about in this way, and now that he was his roommate, it wasn't like he could do any of the things he wanted to._

_"This is amazing!" Michael cursed under his breath at how it came out more excited than he had intended to, but he was shocked at just how good this dish actually was. "You're underselling yourself there."_

_Alex laughed while taking a long chug of his beer and nodding at Michael. "Well, thanks, I had to get creative growing up."_

_It seemed like Alex wanted to open up more about his childhood, and Michael leaned in closer, hoping that it would spur Alex on, but instead, he took a bite of his food and sighed, looking around at the apartment and ignoring the way that Michael was staring at him._

_"Isobel undersold you too, by the way." Alex didn't look at Michael when he said this, still staring at the living room, as if entranced at whatever he was looking at, but it seemed to Michael he was choosing not to look at Michael for whatever reason. Why did he say that the way he said it? The way he said this made Michael's heart beat faster and quicken even faster when Alex finally chose to look directly at Michael, locking their gaze._

_Michael wanted to gulp hard or look away, anything to not have Alex look at him the way he was looking at him. Michael also didn't want to read too much into this. He said it from the beginning, mostly to himself, that Alex was, in fact, off-limits, even if Alex was looking at him with those soft eyes as if waiting for a flirtatious response, Michael had to tread carefully._

_"So what does a bioengineering & agriculture student do in their free time? I can't imagine you'd have a lot of downtimes? Your homework must be insane." _

_Michael smiled, happy for the change of tone and topic; he wasn't sure how much longer he could take Alex saying cute things to him or staring at him the way he was. Michael wasn't sure he could hold off on jumping Alex's bones if he continued to flirt with him casually. Still, Michael had to remind himself that maybe Alex wasn't even flirting with him, maybe it was just how Alex spoke, and he could be misreading the whole situation just because he liked Alex so much in such a short amount of time._

_"Well, to be honest, that's kind of why I chose you to be my roommate." Alex's eyebrows shot up, and he stared as if curious as to why Michael said what he said. "I mean that I saw on your bio that you like The Wild Pony and The Crashdown. Those are two of my favorite places in this damn small town." He chuckled, and he could hear the nerves rolling off his laughter but felt a sense of relief when Alex chuckled right back._

_Technically, Michael had told the partial truth; he did, in fact, choose Alex because of his bio, but he wasn't about to tell Alex that he chose him because he felt drawn to him for some odd reason, that just sounded too insane to say out loud; especially considering now that Alex was here he felt even more entranced and pulled towards Alex._

_"Oh, that's why you chose me?"_

_Oh, you've got to be kidding me? What was Alex doing? Michael felt himself instantly swallow hard and had to avert Alex's eyes as he felt like it would be a dead giveaway if Alex saw just the things that he was doing to Michael by even saying those words. It was definitely flirting. He wanted to yell and ask Alex, but he couldn't; he had to remain professional and be a good roommate, but it was becoming harder and harder, and it was just their first day together, not even a mere 24 hours. He was ready to do whatever this man in front of him wanted._

_"It's getting late, and I'm sure you're tired. I'll clean up," Michael said smiling softly, but still avoiding looking at Alex as he started to grab plates and take them to the sink. He didn't see what Alex's face had done after he avoided the question, but he couldn't handle finding out exactly what was behind those words right now; he didn't trust himself around Alex, so he chose to ignore whatever it was that had just happened._

_He heard Alex sigh behind him and he heard shuffling quietly. "Thanks for cleaning. Have a good night Michael."_

_Michael made a half-attempt at saying something remotely good right back at Alex, but something along the lines of 'Oh yeah, you too' was quickly out of his mouth before he got a chance to stop himself. Luckily the door to Alex's closed soon after, and Michael just sat dumbfounded at the plates in front of him that weren't getting cleaner as he just stared, wondering what the hell had just happened? ___

__Michael sighed and sat up off his bed, sitting at the corner and rubbing his eyes. He felt embarrassed at how he reacted last night, instead of flirting back, which he knew would be wrong, but he so badly didn't care; he avoided it and left Alex probably feeling confused. How the hell was he supposed to know how to be around Alex?_ _

__His phone rang, making him wince at the sound, and he hurried to get it, "what?" his voice bellowed, and the person on the other end just laughed._ _

__"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Hey, what time are you done with classes?"_ _

__Isobel's voice sounded pleased but also annoyed. "Why?" he said through a yawn, looking at the time on his nightstand from his alarm radio, it read 8:00 AM, he cursed at himself at how much time he had spent in bed thinking of what had happened last night instead of actually getting up to start his day if he was honest it was also to avoid Alex as much as he could. It wasn't like he would always avoid Alex, but until he figured out how to answer questions that Alex had or even talk to Alex without feeling like he wanted to kiss and do dirty things to him, he was okay staying away from Alex._ _

__"Meet up at the Crashdown? I need scoop, and I'm bored; the parentals wanted me to help renovate this new house, and I need some Michael time to drain away from the boring-ness that is my family."_ _

__He shook his head and just laughed at the comment, leave it to Isobel to be annoyed that her rich parents were paying her to do something she didn't even need to just for the hell of it. He wished those were his only problems, and he hated that he thought negatively of his siblings when it came to their good fortunes. Still, it bothered him when Is complained about stuff like that when he was barely managing to stay afloat, and it wasn't like it was their fault everything that had happened with their childhood, but a part of him would always feel slightly put out that he didn't get chosen and they had._ _

__He would never mention that to his siblings, of course, and it wasn't like they didn't help, specifically Isobel. She had managed to get him from many bad monetary situations, hell even paying his rent a time or two, but the last time he had made a point that he needed to figure his own stuff out. He couldn't keep relying on anyone to help him, which was a lie because he appreciated it so much, but he did need to grow up at some point in his life, right? & at 23 years old, he thought it was about damn time, sure he was still young, but that was no excuse. _ _

__"Sure, what time?" He didn't really want to meet Isobel; he knew that she wanted to know everything that had happened with Alex even if she hadn't said it outright, 'scoop' was her way of saying 'I want to know every single thing that your mind went through with Alex' but he wasn't about to deny her request when she was the reason he was able to have a roof over his head still._ _

__They got off the phone when she told him to be there right after classes at 1:00 PM on the dot and hung up without another word. He threw his phone on his bed next to him and sighed, he had only 30 minutes before he had to be at school, and luckily he only had 2 classes, enough time to occupy his mind with._ _

__He opened the door and cursed himself when he heard footsteps; he had wanted to shower and get the hell out of here before he saw Alex but then he remembered an essential item that they had not discussed last night. Giving Alex his keys, maybe he could leave them on the counter with a note saying such, but that seemed petty even for Michael. He needed to find the courage and stop worrying so damn much; he could be around Alex without thinking about the things he did, can't he?_ _

__"Good morning!" Alex's voice rang through the apartment, and it took a second for Michael to register it was coming from the kitchen._ _

__The smell of coffee and something buttery delicious hit all the right areas, and his heart melted at the sight in front of him. Shit, he was in trouble._ _

__Alex had set up the kitchen isle with coffee, mugs, and plates filled with pancakes and bacon. The smell was intense, and seeing Alex with his hair all fluffy from what he was assuming was his pillow head and watching him with curiosity as he noticed what Alex was wearing. He had on a pair of grey sweatpants that hugged his thighs and ass tightly, that made Michael throb in a region south, and he had to look away, focusing his attention instead on the sweatshirt he had on that looked two sizes too big on Alex, but made him look so god damn dreamy._ _

__This was way too domestic as shit, and Michael wasn't sure what the hell he was supposed to do._ _

__"Well, sit, eat please. I made way too much, but I thought, why not?"_ _

__Michael blushed as he saw Alex's eyes drift down to eye Michael's outfit; he was still in his pajamas as he was in the middle of going to get ready and shower before he heard Alex's voice. He was wearing black sweatpants that he was glad were a bit big on him as he felt it would be obvious he was happy to see Alex, especially given what he was wearing, and just a ratty old t-shirt that he had since he could remember. He definitely felt slightly self-conscious at the way not only that Alex was looking at him, but at how grungy he looked compared to Alex's dreamy self. Was this how Alex just woke up every day? The thought of waking up with Alex looking like that every damn day was going to drive him insane. How was he so beautiful so early in the morning?_ _

__Alex luckily looked away from Michael to focus on putting more things on the table, which didn't seem that the little table could handle anything else being put there._ _

__"Wow, Alex, you truly don't have to do all of this," Michael said, but he could feel himself licking his lips and sitting down, already grabbing coffee and pouring on both of their mugs._ _

__Alex's chuckle came shortly after as he sat down next to Michael, giving him a warm smile and shrugging as if this wasn't that big of a deal._ _

__"You already made dinner and now breakfast?"_ _

__Alex's lips parted to give an even bigger smile, but staring at Michael as if trying to read everything Michael was thinking made it harder to concentrate on anything other than the man sitting in front of him._ _

__"You made lunch."_ _

__"I made two sandwiches...I made one of the world's easiest sandwiches." He corrected himself because how was Alex supposed to compare what he did to what Michael did._ _

__"You're doing it again," Alex said as he took a sip of his coffee that Michael had pushed towards him._ _

__"What?" Michael looked at him with an unsure expression as he wasn't sure what he was even getting at._ _

__"You're underselling yourself, Guerin."_ _

__'Guerin' hearing Alex say his last name made his stomach float with butterflies, and he wasn't even sure why, and the compliment, or at least he thought it was a compliment, made him feel the heat rise to the top of his head._ _

__"Thanks." he could barely hear his own words, and he saw the way Alex leaned in to make sure he heard right, and when Michael met his eyes, he was smiling and going back to continue eating._ _

__"Oh um, I forgot to give you something last night." Michael finally spoke after spending a few minutes in silence while they were eating their food. Alex looked up with expectant eyes and nodded in understanding._ _

__Michael stood up and headed towards the table with keys on it, grabbing the set he had made for Alex and walked over; he saw the way Alex was looking up at him, waiting to see what he was about to give him, his face still had sleep on it and it made Michael want to kiss the top of his head so badly._ _

__He opted to sit instead and put the keys next to Alex; that way, he could avoid touching him. Alex looked down and then smiled once more. "Oh, I didn't even think about that."_ _

__Michael smiled back and shrugged. "I should have given them to you yesterday, but basically, it's the mail key, building key, and apartment key." He pointed at each one as he said it, making sure that Alex knew which ones were for what door._ _

__The silence hung in the air once more, but it didn't feel weird or uncomfortable, at least not with Alex. "So what time do you work?"_ _

__Alex looked at his phone, and his eyes got wide. "Oh my god, actually, I'm gonna be late." He took one last sip of his coffee and put his hand gently on Michael's shoulder, squeezing softly and leaving Michael alone as he rushed to his room._ _

__Michael looked at the area that Alex had touched and shivered as he still felt the pressure of his fingers lingering there. His stomach turned, and he felt slightly sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and decided he needed to get ready himself because, if he was honest, he was also running late, but nothing had mattered except spending time with Alex._ _

__```_ _

__"So I already ordered for you," her insistent and annoyed tone wasn't surprising since he was, in fact, late to meet her, and he knew he would hear about it. "that's what you get for making me wait 15 minutes." & there it was; he had to stifle his laugh as he sat across the booth from her. _ _

__Isobel's face wasn't worn with annoyance, though, and he could see her little smile creep up quickly. "You look good, surprisingly good."_ _

__She was eyeing him up and down, looking at his clothes and how his hair actually didn't stand on end as it usually did. He hid behind his menu as he hoped she couldn't see the slight blush that appeared, knowing full well she would know why he looked so good._ _

__"Okay, nope, none of this." Isobel pulled on the menu and brought it down to eye him expectantly. He rolled his eyes at her and sat as his back touched the back of the booth and crossed his arms, mostly in defensiveness._ _

__"Spill."_ _

__"About what? You're the one that wanted to get together."_ _

__"Oh come on, Michael, you know full well that I'm the reason behind your new hottie in your life, and you can't be all mad at me for that, and also can't expect me not to want more information. How was your first day with him?"_ _

__He shrugged like a petulant little kid, and she scoffed loudly, tapping her perfectly manicured fingers on the table, waiting. He knew he couldn't keep her waiting longer, so he spoke but avoiding her eyes, choosing to look at the menu that she had placed on the table in front of him._ _

__"It was fine, he's fine," finally looking up to meet her eyes, she was staring half-annoyed, half-amused, and he rolled his eyes. "What?"_ _

__"'He's fine 'it was fine'? Really Michael? If the next thing out of your mouth isn't something more juicy or interesting...or really even the truth, I swear I'll scream."_ _

__He sighed and blew out an exhale quite roughly that made some of his curls roll up his head. "What do you want me to say Is?" He felt himself getting angry, and he wasn't even sure why. He definitely hadn't meant to take it out on her, but he was scared, to tell the truth; even though he knew she already knew what it was, he could see it in her face; he knew she wanted him to say it out loud._ _

__"I just want to hear you say it." And there it was, he knew that was exactly what she wanted from him, but it was still frustrating as hell._ _

__"Okay fine," He leaned in so no one else could hear, not that there were many people there as the lunch crowd was a bit smaller now. "You want the truth? He's beautiful, okay? I can't stop thinking about him, and I hate you for doing this to me because now I'm stuck with this guy that I feel so many emotions towards, and there isn't a thing I can do about it. I want to kiss him and do other things that I can't even speak to you about, and I'm seriously unsure how I'm going to live under the same roof as him, okay? Happy now?" He exhaled and sat once again with his back hitting the booth rather harder than he meant._ _

__Isobel's smile was bigger and wider than Michael wanted or needed right now. He just admitted things he didn't want to even admit to himself, but he also felt relief at being able to say that out loud to someone other than his own damn head._ _

__"It's okay to have a crush, Michael, even if you live with him." Her smile widened as his eyes got big._ _

__"I don't have a crush." Even the lie sounded dumb when he said it out loud and had Isobel rolling her eyes so hard he swore he could see the whites of her eyes._ _

__"Oh Michael, well, what about Alex?"_ _

__He scoffed, "What about him?"_ _

__Isobel laughed but contained it as best she could when their food arrived; thanking Arturo with her award-winning wink and smile, she turned to focus back on Michael's sad problem._ _

__"Have you tried to see if maybe he likes you back?"_ _

__"Isobel."_ _

__"What? I'm just saying, and maybe it's not one-sided; ever think about that? He is gay, you know?"_ _

__"Oh what, so every gay guy is supposed to be into every guy? That's stupid, Is."_ _

__"Is it?"_ _

__He ate quietly until her voice broke their silence. "Listen, I know you think I'm annoying and all, but I've never seen you this way about anyone before. I just think it's a waste if you don't try, is all."_ _

__He felt exhausted listening to her, but she did make a point; he truly had never felt this way for anyone. He didn't want a relationship, or at least that's what he told himself. Still, if he was honest, the thought of being in a relationship with Alex made his heart flutter and his stomach dance, but he still couldn't think about those things when he didn't really know how Alex was feeling, and he knew he couldn't just ask him._ _

__"I can't just try Is; it's not that simple."_ _

__"Why because you're scared or because you think he's not interested?"_ _

__"Because he's my roommate!" He half-shouted and got an annoyed Isobel for it, raising her brow to make sure he lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, okay, but it's the truth; what do you want me to do? Tell him, 'Oh hey Alex, thank you for moving in with me; your room is over here, oh and by the way, I think you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I want to see you naked?"_ _

__She laughed at this and shook her head. "Okay, please don't tell him like that, but why does it matter if he's your roommate?"_ _

__"This may come as a shock to you, Isobel, but he's off-limits _because _he's my roommate. I don't want to start off living with him and make him worried or be uncomfortable because I've admitted to him that I like him; How is that fair to him?"___ _

____Isobel groaned but nodded her head. "Okay, I'm sorry, I get it. I'm sorry it's so hard for you, but hey, on the upside, maybe it'll work itself out, and maybe he's the one that asks you out."_ _ _ _

____Michael just smiled politely and was glad that she dropped it, and was even happier after saying their goodbyes. He really wasn't in the mood to talk about this any longer as he felt like it was getting muddier and muddier, and he wasn't even sure how the hell to fix it. Isobel was right in many aspects, but not necessarily about Alex asking Michael out._ _ _ _

____```_ _ _ _

____It had been a week since Alex moved in, and everything was going smoothly; Michael was able to reign in some of his feelings even though every time he saw Alex, his heart did backflips, and his stomach knotted every.damn.time. He thought he could get used to the fact that, for the most part, he was able to be semi-normal around Alex. Still, luckily they both had been quite busy with work, school, or other activities, so that allowed Michael some freedom not to have to think about Alex consistently, even Isobel learned to stop prodding even though a few text messages asking how it was going made their way to him, but she looked to be defeated; knowing Isobel that wasn't the last he heard from this though._ _ _ _

____"Hey, are you coming tonight?" Michael looked up from where he was sitting on the couch to stare at Alex, who had just popped out of his room, and Michael had to bite his lip from looking at Alex further down south than he wanted to._ _ _ _

____"Hmm?" Michael said, not realizing what 'tonight' was._ _ _ _

____"Oh, sorry, I thought I told you earlier, but I think I mentioned it briefly my first day here; tonight is the Open Mic night at The Wild Pony. You want to go with me?"_ _ _ _

____Wait, this wasn't Alex asking him on a date, was it? No, it couldn't be, it just was him being nice, and they lived together, so obviously, going together would be better than going separately and meeting up there, right?_ _ _ _

____He realized he was taking too long to reply, so he cleared his throat and sat up. "Oh um, sure, what time?"_ _ _ _

____Alex looked down at his phone and gave Michael a look to say 'whoops' and smiled. "Um, actually, my set is in like 15 minutes. I'm sorry, I should have given you more of a heads up."_ _ _ _

____"How about I just meet you there?" He said as he looked at his clothing so that Alex knew he had to change and get ready._ _ _ _

____Alex looked almost put out by this, but Michael wasn't sure he read that right; when it came to Alex, it seemed like Michael was trying to see what he wanted, not necessarily what was right in front of him, but still, it did seem like Alex was sad he wasn't going directly with him. So he nodded and gave a wave before he was out the door._ _ _ _

____As soon as the door was closed, Michael ran as quickly as he could, tripping over a few things on his way and changing as fast as he could muster. He definitely didn't want to miss Alex playing, and he wanted to look good, not for any particular reason; I mean, that's what he kept repeating to himself over and over. He must have changed at least 5 times, finally landing on a white t-shirt with his favorite denim shirt on top, with his most adored jeans & belt buckle that he always laughed at how big it was but was so on point for The Wild Pony, and made sure to grab his hat on the way out, but not before taking one last look at himself in the mirror and deciding he looked decent enough to head out, with 5 minutes to spare; considering they lived so close to it, he knew he would make it in time to see Alex play. _ _ _ _

____The Wild Pony had its regulars that Michael could see. A few other newbies that looked too hipster to be in such a cowboy bar, it took him a second to spot Alex on stage, fixing a few things, so Michael decided to make his way over to the bar where he saw Maria's warm smile and gave him a wide grin when she noticed him._ _ _ _

____"Michael! I haven't seen you in so long. How've you been?"_ _ _ _

____He smiled back at her, and before he could even ask for his drink or answer her, he heard his angelic voice pipe through the microphone._ _ _ _

____"Thanks for coming out, and a special thank you to Miss Maria, who knows how grateful I am to her and this bar for doing this for local talent."_ _ _ _

____People clapped and then waited to see what he would do next; Michael could see quite a few people enamored by Alex's presence on the stage. It made him feel possessive as if he was the only one who was allowed to look at Alex in that way, and he was glad for the distraction as Alex started to sing._ _ _ _

____Michael knew that Alex's passion was music, but when he sang, it was as if nothing else mattered; Michael could feel the hairs on his body stand on end, the way the music flowed through him was so magical almost, and he couldn't stop staring at Alex in the way he knew wasn't allowed. For a split second, Alex looked up from where he was staring. His eyes locked onto Michael's with the lyrics stating, "I've never met anyone quite like you," and Michael felt like he couldn't breathe; it was as if Alex was singing directly to him and his heart was racing too quickly for him to keep up._ _ _ _

____He wanted to look away; he wanted to run out of this bar and drive far away; he didn't think he could handle it, but Alex's voice and eyes were keeping him locked in place, and he hated yet loved it so much._ _ _ _

____"He's amazing, isn't he?" Maria's sweet voice pushed through, and he had to physically pull his gaze away from Alex's before he finally spoke; he was actually happy that Maria spoke and took him away from not only his thoughts that were not good or PG-rated but staring at Alex the way he was, and why had Alex stared at him in that way? He couldn't be imagining all of it, could he?_ _ _ _

____He cleared his throat before he spoke; he wasn't sure how his voice would sound if he hadn't, she handed him his usual whiskey, and he downed it pretty quickly. "Yeah, he is." He said quietly enough for her not to hear. "He's good." He finally said louder so she could hear him agree with her, but not to the extent he knew he felt._ _ _ _

____He was happy not to have to endure much more of Alex's singing because he wasn't sure he could handle it. Alex thanked everyone after they clapped for him, very loudly might I add, and smiled and waved at a few people._ _ _ _

____It seemed like Michael wasn't the only one with loved-out eyes for this gorgeous man, and he hated it so much._ _ _ _

____Alex made his way to the bar where Michael and Maria were at and sat next to Michael, pulling the second whiskey that Maria had given Michael and took a quick sip of it, not before Michael got to quickly smell him and close his eyes to steady his breathing. Pull it together was all he could think, but he couldn't help where his thoughts went when he saw some of the golden amber liquid remain on Alex's lips after he took a sip. Michael instinctively licked his bottom lip and looked away, not minding that Alex was drinking from his drink, something that he did as if they were so comfortable with each other, which only served to tug at Michael's heart even more._ _ _ _

____Maria and Alex spoke a bit, but Michael sort of tuned it all out until he heard Alex tapping him on the shoulder. "You okay?"_ _ _ _

____Michael wanted to curse at himself for not realizing that Alex had noticed his trailing thoughts, and he just smiled at him, leaning over so he could say what he wanted to say to Alex's ears only, "You were amazing up there."_ _ _ _

____Michael felt Alex's hands go to Michael's shoulders as he braced himself to be able to hear him better and felt his pants tighter in his crotch as he could feel the breath from Alex's mouth onto his neck as he whispered back to him. "Yeah? You liked my song?"_ _ _ _

____His breath caught on his throat, and he felt the heat rising, and he wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or just how close Alex was to him, and he wasn't removing his hands from Michael's shoulders which only made Michael want to lean the inches they had left to kiss him, it took every restraint not to._ _ _ _

____"Hey, I got us a booth; what are you doing up here?"_ _ _ _

____Michael and Alex both jumped at the loud voice that was right next to them, and they turned to face a blue-haired man looking slightly annoyed at the interaction he just stumbled upon but looking expectantly at Alex with a raised brow._ _ _ _

____Michael continued to stare at him until finally, Alex spoke, his hands finally removed from Michael, who felt the instant coldness from not being touched anymore, and he hated that feeling. He instantly disliked this man for interrupting them. He knew that Alex wanted to say something else, but unfortunately, it was blocked by this man._ _ _ _

____"Oh, sorry, I just came up to say hi to my friends, and now I'm rude, aren't I? This is Michael, my new roommate" Alex waved his arms, gesturing to the man who Michael was to Alex. "And you know Maria." Maria just winked and waved as she continued to bartend, not really paying attention much than that since it was a busy night. "Michael, this is Forrest, my date."_ _ _ _

____'date' he heard that, right, right? He had said date? Michael felt like someone had punched him in the stomach and taken all the air with them. Of course, Alex wasn't single; why the hell did he think that? It wasn't like Alex had been flirting the way Michael thought. It was just who Alex was; this kind person that was nice to everyone. How could he be so dumb to think that Alex might be interested? He was only hurt because he had a stupid crush; that was it. He would get over it, wouldn't he?_ _ _ _

____He met Alex's eyes and saw that Alex seemed almost uncomfortable, but Michael couldn't think about that. He looked back at Forrest and nodded a hi, and Forrest did the same._ _ _ _

____He was definitely good-looking, which made the jealousy in his stomach light up a bit more. He had on a very tight red dress shirt. Michael could see that he had a nice body underneath, which didn't make Michael angrier, not at all, and black skinny jeans just like the ones that Alex wore but instead of Michael getting excited about that from Forrest the way he had with Alex, this time it just served to annoy him even more._ _ _ _

____"Do you want to join us?" Alex asked, looking again, almost uncomfortable by this experience, and Michael looked over to see that Forrest looked annoyed at this question as if it was interrupting their time. Michael slightly wanted to intrude in their date, just to be a petty asshole, but he also didn't think he could stomach watching them together, so he shook his head._ _ _ _

____"Oh no, I should get going actually; I have homework and work in the morning."_ _ _ _

____And it wasn't like he was lying; he did, in fact, have homework and work in the morning, but if Forrest wasn't here and Alex had asked Michael to stay, he would have in a heartbeat, that was the problem._ _ _ _

____He couldn't tell if it was disappointment or what on Alex's face, but he nodded, and they said their awkward goodbyes before he turned to down the little bit of his drink he had left considering Alex took some, paid for what he owed, and left without turning to see where they had gone off to._ _ _ _

____He needed to stop the thoughts that popped into his brain, Alex wasn't his, and tonight clearly proved exactly that. So why did he feel so heartbroken?_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you guys want to see or have me add something you think you'd like to see and it goes well with the story, direct message me; I'd love to get any input. Also, I'm new to the Fandom, so any Roswell fans/friends I can get would be wonderful. Plus, this hiatus has us all just craving for a premiere date; fingers crossed we get that info soon. Thanks again for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Okay, so I wasn't sure where to end this chapter, I am pretty happy with it, all things considered, I have a few more chapters in mind, but I'm not sure yet how many I want to do just yet. Also, I am not going to put a schedule for when I upload so as to not get mad at myself if I can't keep up with it, but I hope to upload as regularly as possible. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, this is my first ever Malex fic and I am just happy people are even reading. Comments make me very very happy.


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